Champions: The Journey of a Thousand Miles
by LadyDeb1970
Summary: Sequel to 'Champions: A New Choice.' Guy has made the choice to live and atone. Now he faces another choice.


Author's Notes: After four years, heaven only knows how many attempts, and drifting through various fandoms, inspiration finally bit in a big way to tell the next step in Guy's journey, which will be a collection of short stories. There will be characters from other fandoms, especially one in particular. The villain reminds me very strongly of Guy, while the hero reminds me very strongly of Robin. In this first one-shot, we have Guy listening as his fate is decided; the rest of the Time Weavers/Champions of Champions weigh in; and Guy's rescuer finally gets a name.

Disclaimer: Guy of Gisborne doesn't belong to me; however, everything else does. Boudicca, Pelagia Valkyrie, Guy's nameless rescuer … they're all mine. I don't mind if you borrow them … just ask first and return them intact.

Somewhere in Time and Space

Personal Quarters for Guy of Gisborne

"You have lost your mind, sister!"

Ah, they were at it _again_. Guy of Gisborne lay back against his pillows, closing his eyes as the argument began anew. He wasn't entirely certain how much time passed since he awoke. The last thing he remembered was whispering to Robin how to evacuate the castle. And now … he was here, among people who spoke strangely. It was a variation of English, but one very unfamiliar to him. A particularly embarrassing situation brought that home when he echoed 'okay' back at one of his hosts, without understanding what was being asked … and he learned that 'okay' was an acknowledgment, a confirmation, an agreement, as well as a status. That was bad enough, but the lesson he received on current English made his head ache.

Then there was the fact that he was dead. He remembered dying. And now, he was alive. One of his hosts tried to explain it, but when he started using words like timey-wimey-wibbly-wobbly (and were those even words?), Guy's head began to pound even worse. The nameless woman who rescued him (or so he was told) interrupted and guided him back to his sleeping quarters, which were … well. The first time he awoke, he thought he was in his old room, and half-expected his little sister to race through the door, begging him to take her riding or to play with her, as she was wont to do when she was small, when their parents were alive, when …

Guy forced his mind away from Isabella. Instead, he listened to his hosts deciding his future. His nameless rescuer told him that he was in a place in-between. In between what, was the obvious question. She smiled at that, telling him, '_between one world and another, between life and death … take your pick_.' He inquired if it was between heaven and hell. That made her smile. She touched his face with infinite tenderness, but never actually answered the question. That, in and of itself, was an answer. What kind of answer it was, he was still working out. Instead, she began telling him about what they were … the people who rescued him. They called themselves Time Weavers, or sometimes Champions of Champions. They found dying people who still had something to contribute, and put them in another time and place.

Guy hadn't been particularly religious, not since the deaths of his parents, and everything that followed. Even so, his nameless rescuer's story unnerved him greatly. If he heard … if he _told _such a story in Nottingham, it would have seen him or whoever told the story named as a witch. And yet, it was true. His body was healed of all of its wounds. He was dead, and now he was alive. He was alive, and all of his wounds were healed. They even cut his hair, as well as bathed him. During the last few weeks, he rested here in his chambers, leaving only for meals. And now came the most terrifying part of it all … choosing what came next. That was, in fact, what they were discussing … or more properly, arguing about.

"Has anyone considered … oh, I don't know … _asking_ him what _he_ wanted to do?" Guy blinked in surprise … although, given the owner of the voice, perhaps he shouldn't have been. From the moment he woke up in this place, the seeming oldest among the Time Weavers was kindest to him, aside from his nameless rescuer. She called herself 'Boudicca,' after the legendary British queen. They all chose their names, she told him, or had their names chosen for them. Such was the case with her younger 'sister,' Valkyrie. Boudicca and Pelagia chose their own names. To Guy's delight, he learned that Boudicca chose to name herself after the Iceni queen who stood up to the Romans, despite the devastating price not only she but her daughters paid.

This Boudicca admitted that she wanted to choose her namesake as a Champion, further explaining that she offered it to the woman before she took her own life, but the legendary queen turned down the offer. In a rare moment of blindness for a Time Weaver, the blonde woman couldn't see that Boudicca's name would echo through history … and took her name, to ensure that she would never be forgotten. As she told him during their first conversation, shortly after he woke up, even if one person, one sentient being (Guy wasn't entirely sure what 'sentient' meant, but he was guessing it meant 'intelligent'), remembered her name, Boudicca would live forever. And she had. Even a thousand years removed from Guy's own time (own time? His mind still reeled at that), there were still people who knew of Boudicca. That was immortality in its own right. People still remembered her, remembered her name, and honored her.

She'd smiled at him as his eyes began to drift closed (very much against his will … there was still so much to learn). Boudicca leaned forward to lightly brush a kiss across his forehead, before whispering, "Now. Get some sleep. Your body may be healed, but you still need sleep … and I know for a fact that you're still exhausted." He was, then and now. Yes, he liked Boudicca, and he liked her even more now. His nameless rescuer said quietly, "I think we should let him choose for himself. I know where I would send him, but he's not like other Champions. We cannot treat him as we would other Champions."

"You're right … he _isn't_ like other Champions. None of our other Champions served a cruel master willingly, nor did they kill the woman they claimed to love! He needs to be in a place where he can be watched and monitored," Valkyrie stated. She was one of the youngest among the Time Weavers, and a bit on the brash side. Or, to put it more bluntly, she didn't like Guy and didn't think he deserved another chance. Guy didn't hold it against her. However, she accepted that she was overruled by her sisters, especially by Pelagia and Boudicca, who held leadership positions among the Time Weavers. Valkyrie added, "Our other Champions made a few bad decisions in their lives … aside from Karsten, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Him? He had a whole epidemic of them. We can't trust him on his own."

All true. But his rescuer said quietly, "He chooses for himself. They'll be watching out for him and watching over him." There was a quiet steel in her voice. Valkyrie made a sound, and the other woman retorted with actual heat in her voice this time, "**I** chose him as a Champion, sister, and I choose to let him choose for himself. I stood behind your choices, Valkyrie, and now I'm asking for the same courtesy. Unless you think …?"

Think what, Guy wasn't entirely sure, but there was a bite to her voice that made him uneasy, and a hush fell over the argument. Almost a gasp, that indrawn breath of, '_please don't say what you're about to say_.' Into the silence that followed, Boudicca said gently, "We've all made mistakes, dear one. If it helps at all, I don't think Guy will be one of them. And it's very rare that we simply drop off a Champion in their new time. Boromir was an exception, because of the circumstances. I'm sorry, Valkyrie, but he _will _choose for himself."

Guy swallowed hard, understanding what kind of trust was being placed in him. His future was about to be decided, and he truly wasn't sure if he was ready to make such a dizzying choice. He would have to. This was where atonement truly began.

GGGGGGGGGGGGGG

For once, she would leave the smoothing of Valkyrie's ruffled feathers to someone else. It wasn't that she disagreed with her younger sister, as such … but Valkyrie tended to pound subjects into the ground, and then continued to pound away. Or, as their newest sister put it rather dryly, '_when Valkyrie discovers that she's in a hole, she continues to dig_.' Boudicca resolved to remember that saying. She liked it quite a lot.

No, Valkyrie was right… Guy of Gisborne did bear watching. For all the good he did at the end of his life, he had much to atone for. However, their youngest sister brought up a good point near the end. He was aware that he needed to atone. There was no argument or hesitation about that. However, the question was, who would be the best to guide the former Black Knight on his new life? For Boudicca, it seemed obvious. Guy would fare better with people who faced the darkness within them, and came out on the other side.

Valkyrie, however, feared that Guy's darkness would be encouraged by Boudicca's choice. Nor was she the only one. Again, Boudicca could see her sister's point (much to her chagrin … her ability to see other sides of arguments gave her headaches on occasion) … which was why she was suggesting that Guy would be placed later in the timeline, after those choices were made and the darkest among them was more of a gray. Naturally, that prompted even more debate and even more insistence that Guy should exchange one master for another. For obvious reasons, that didn't go over well with Boudicca or Pelagia. They were at a deadlock when Boudicca finally broke down and suggested that Guy himself choose.

After even more debate (really, it was getting ridiculous), it was finally decided that yes, Guy would choose his guardians. But how Boudicca got this particular duty, rather than her youngest sister … well, she was still figuring that out. Then again, by now, she was accustomed to that. As she entered Guy's chambers, she discovered the man in question wide awake and sitting up in bed. And, damn the man, he was attired only in a pair of breeches, giving her a very lovely view of his torso. A very nice torso it was, too. The term 'devilishly attractive' probably could have been coined for him with his raven hair and bright blue eyes. From the way his lips were twitching at her expression, he probably had a good idea what he was thinking.

"You could put a shirt on … it's likely to get drafty in here," she observed, closing the door behind her. Guy of Gisborne merely arched an eyebrow at her, and Boudicca continued, "Oh, right, I forgot … we don't have to worry about things. How about putting on a shirt to avoid shocking a poor, ancient Time Weaver?" She was only partially joking. While she wasn't quite immortal, as such, she had lived for more than five hundred years. To her, he was barely more than a child, a thought that made her cringe.

"I doubt if my bare form shocks you, my lady … but as you wish," Guy finally acceded. Of course he did. He got what he wanted, and Boudicca felt her cheeks redden. For all that he was grateful to them … and he was, she knew he was … during recent weeks, he'd felt powerless. Further, Valkyrie made no secret of the contempt she felt for him … indeed, went out of her way to show him just how little she thought of him. For weeks, Guy was powerless … a hard thing indeed for a man as proud as he was. He was asserting the only power he had now, and Boudicca found that she couldn't blame him for it.

As he rose to his feet, Guy asked almost casually, "So. What is to be my fate?" It was purely a formality. He'd been listening … of course he'd been listening. But as she stared at his back, his muscles flexing under his skin as he slipped into a tunic, it occurred to her that he was quietly returning the power back to her. Boudicca's throat went dry as something else occurred to her. By turning his back to her, by asking her what his fate would be, Guy was demonstrating his trust in her … his faith. Coming from a man who knew both sides of betrayal, that was enough to steal the breath from her lungs.

"We have narrowed it down to three possibilities … who will be your partners in crime, so to speak," Boudicca answered. He didn't speak … merely kept those pale eyes on her, and Boudicca explained, "Most Champions have charges … people whom they protect. You're a special case, though, Guy … we know you can protect. But you also need to heal, and become the son of Roger and Ghislaine once more. These three possibilities will help you find that boy once more. At the same time, being ruthless can be a virtue … and these three possibilities all accept that."

"Tell me about them?" Guy asked softly, not touching the other topic. Other Champions. There was time for that, and so Boudicca told him about the possibilities. There was the team of heroes who fought those who would subjugate their world (both foreign and domestic, as the saying went). She knew, even before he gave a small shake of his head, that he wouldn't choose them. Not when she describe who he would be fighting alongside. And so, she moved to the second group, who fulfilled a similar function as the first (and who she had reservations about … not because of the handsome and charming leader, but because of the self-aggrandizing newcomer who promoted herself as the heart of the team, even as she dismissed the humanity of her teammates). Guy didn't shake his head at that, but he also didn't look particularly impressed. She was sure he had enough of self-aggrandizing individuals.

Which brought her to the final group. She told him of three men who lost their wives, of three children who lost their mothers, and how those losses set each man onto a new journey. Each of them lost so much, but ended up gaining things they never expected. She told him about a man whose loss nearly changed him into someone who his wife wouldn't have recognized and would have hated, a man who could have destroyed half of a city in his grief, pain, and guilt. She told him about a man who learned that there were demons in the world, demons who sought to harm that which he held dearest. And finally, she told him about another man, who took a similar journey to the second … only without the added complication of children.

There was a muscle ticking in Guy's jaw when he finished, but he was nodding. His eyes were bright with unshed tears, but he was nodding. Boudicca relaxed in spite of herself, because this was her choice as well. These were men whom he understood. He asked softly, "The man who would have destroyed a city … what turned him away? What kept him from doing so?" There was, she noticed, no censure in his voice. He understood that kind of pain, that kind of rage. That was another reason she wanted him with the final group. They understood that kind of destruction. Perhaps they could teach him the final lesson as well.

"He … he happened to encounter an angel. An archangel, to be exact, who took human form and lived among humans," Boudicca admitted. Guy's eyebrows winged into his hairline at that comment, but to his credit, he didn't interrupt. Time Weavers didn't like to admit that angels even existed, so his restraint was greatly appreciated. She continued, "This particular archangel knew his wife … she helped him on several occasions. And when she was murdered … when those she spent her life helping let her die without lifting a finger, or even trying to comfort her … his rage burned hotter than that of her husband. He promised that he would see to it that the guilty parties would pay … but the widower and his motherless child … the archangel didn't want them to be among those who paid. And they would have, had the widower continued on his path. The archangel sent him to the other two men, because the loss of his wife left the man rudderless," Boudicca answered.

Guy also understood rudderless. She could see his decision in his eyes, even before he made his choice. But before he made it official, before he agreed to become a Hunter, he had one last question, "Valkyrie … she doesn't just hate me because of what I've done, does she? There's more to it." It was a statement, that last sentence, not a question. And Boudicca cursed herself. Guy wasn't stupid (past decisions notwithstanding) … and give the man enough time, he would work things out on his own, especially when he had time to do nothing but think. He would have had time to think and analyze, and run through his memories.

She replied at last, her tongue feeling two shapes too large for her mouth, "It's … it's a painful thing. Being attracted, painfully attracted even, to someone you dislike. To someone who you think you should despise … who you _do_ despise." Guy inclined his head, and Boudicca wondered what he would do with this information. After a moment, however, she realized that he would do nothing about it. He would soon join the Hunters, and likely never see Valkyrie again. That, however, didn't stop her from asking softly, "Promise you'll be kind to her, Sir Guy of Gisborne?" The use of his rank obviously startled him, but it wasn't just a rank. It was a reminder of who he used to be, of the idealistic boy he'd been once. And he smiled at her.

"I will not taunt her or mock her, my lady Boudicca. I merely wished to understand. Might I speak with she who rescued me, one last time?" Guy asked and Boudicca smiled at him. She inclined her head. He was already learning. Guy's smile, too rare that it was, brightened, and he bowed to her. He was already learning. Baby steps were too often dismissed, but they were often the most important ones.

GGGGGGGGGGGG

Erik took her aside after the meeting, giving Boudicca the task of speaking to Guy about his choices. It was her responsibility, as the person who brought him into this world, into this situation, but Erik reminded her that it was coming time to choose her name. He wanted to know if she had any ideas, and in truth, she didn't. She half-jokingly observed that she could always call herself 'Anon,' for 'anonymous,' but he didn't appreciate her jest. In truth, she wasn't really joking. 'Anon' fit her as well as anything else.

She had to choose a name, or one would be chosen for her. Knowing Erik, he not only meant every word he said, but he would probably have Valkyrie choose it for her. And her sister may have chosen excellent Champions, but her choice in names left a great deal to be desired. She would allow Pelagia or Boudicca to choose her name before she would allow Valkyrie that privilege. However, she still had some time.

For now, as she left the room just off the council chambers, the Champion of Champions who called herself 'Nanashi' even now mused about what her Champion, her first Champion, would choose. She thought she knew … she knew which she _hoped _he would choose. But Guy was a bit unpredictable. It was hard to say what he would do, particularly now. As she headed for her own chambers, she noticed Boudicca emerging from Guy's quarters. The older Champion was blushing, but she was smiling. And as she caught sight of Nanashi, she actually winked.

Guy chose … and he made the choice she hoped he would. She exhaled slowly, because already, he was proving her faith in him. Already, he was proving Valkyrie wrong, and she was just childish enough to take pleasure in that. Even so, she was surprised when the passing Boudicca grasped her wrist and murmured, "Your Champion wishes to speak with you, sister."

Well. That … well, it really wasn't that much of a surprise. Nanashi inclined her head, and Boudicca continued on her way. She was smiling in a way Nanashi never saw her smile before. Interesting. Most interesting. Nanashi proceeded to the chambers where they first placed Guy of Gisborne, nearly four weeks early. He'd been nearly naked and soaking wet after his bath, shivering even unconscious. Nanashi protested the bath while he was unconscious, but Valkyrie demanded that they bathe him before he soiled the sheets with the horrendous smell. She could be such a brat at times.

Nanashi lightly rapped on the door, before entering her Champion's chambers. He smiled, murmuring, "My Lady. I am glad to see you." He'd always been shy around her, which surprised her. She knew of the women who warmed his bed, and saw him charming some of the other female Champions. And yet, he was shy around her. He was also waiting for her to respond, and so she smiled at him. That seemed to be enough for him, and he said slowly, "I know you have already done much for me … you saved me, took me from what would have been my death if the stab wounds hadn't finished me off, and healed me. But … I have one boon to ask of you."

Now, she was intrigued and motioned for him to continue. It was a bit odd … so rarely had they spoken, and now, as he was on the cusp of his new life, he asked to see her, and now requested a boon of her. Oh yes, she was quite intrigued. Guy said slowly, "It has been my understanding that you have not yet taken a name as a Time Weaver … that when you become a Time Weaver, you cast off that was yours during your first life." She nodded. That was true. She left behind her old name and her old life. Guy continued, "I … you have done so much for me already. I ask that you allow me to do something for you. Would … would you allow me to choose your name? The name by which all of your Champions will know you?"

She stared at him in shock … he was asking to name her. Names had power, and judging from the expression in the man's eyes, he knew that particular truth. He was asking to give her a gift from his heart. She blinked back tears, and answered hoarsely, "I would hear this name first. And I will not accept being called 'Marian.' I am _**not**_her." Now a mischievous smile lit the man's handsome face, his blue eyes twinkling with laughter. She caught her breath, because he was handsome even when he was scowling … but now, with that smile lighting his face? Oh, now he was breathtakingly beautiful.

"I would not dream of naming you so, my lady," he acknowledged. Well. That was a relief. Guy began to circle her, observing, "You saved my life. No. You restored my life to me. I was dead. I know that. The afterlife was coming for me. But you restored my life to me, and gave me a new purpose." Nanashi said nothing, knowing that he would get to the point in his own time. She would not rush him. Nor would she let his circling her make her uncomfortable. She would not be intimidated. Instead, she held his eyes whenever he passed in front of her.

But it was during his second pass, as he struggled with what he wanted to say, that she understood what he was truly doing. It wasn't his intent to intimidate her or try to make her uncomfortable. Indeed, he was trying to set himself at ease … trying to settle his own nerves. He wasn't circling her as prey … he was pacing, because he was nervous. She swallowed hard and stood proud until he found the words that he wanted. He found it easier to fight than to speak. But he was trying now. She would not make it harder for him.

And at last, he said, "You gave back my life to me, brought me into a world so very unfamiliar to me. I know it is not true, but in some ways, you have become as a mother to me." She was glad he phrased it that way. She was actually younger than he was, and didn't take kindly to being a mother to someone who was older than she was. Yet, she also couldn't argue with his points. She did give him back his life and she did bring him into a world unfamiliar to him. In a way, it could be said that she was his mother. She was the creator of his new life.

With that understanding came another, but she needed to hear the words. Her heart was beating rapidly as she began to understand the gift he meant to give her. She asked hoarsely, "And what name would you give to me, Guy of Gisborne? What name would you have me take, son of Roger, son of Ghislaine?" He smiled at her, a sweet smile that went straight to her heart. She saw, then, the man he could still become. The man he would become, alongside his new brothers and new nephews.

"I would name you Ghislaine, for my mother … for the woman who raised me, who dried my tears, who loved me without question," he answered simply. And those were the important facts about Ghislaine of Gisborne. That she birthed the man standing opposite her … that she raised him … that she dried his tears … that she loved him without question. He stood now, staring at her with hope and fear in his eyes. Fear that she would reject this most precious gift of his, and hope that she would not. She already knew what her answer would be … knew it even before he spoke it aloud.

"I accept this gift gratefully … I shall be known as Ghislaine, now and for all time. I thank you, with all of my heart. And I know, with all of my heart, that you will make me proud of you," the newly-christened Time Weaver said hoarsely. He tilted his head, ever so slightly to one side, a gesture that made her smile. Ghislaine allowed herself a wider smile, adding as she took a step forward to put her hand on his chest, to cover his heart, "You have already made me proud."

Ghislaine didn't fool herself. She knew there would be trials ahead for Guy. She knew that he would stumble and fall. But now … now, he would be with people to pick him up. He would be with people to care for him, and in time, he would come to care for them as well. It was why she hoped for the choice he ended up making. They were all made of broken pieces, Guy and the brothers he had yet to meet. But their broken pieces could be made to fit, and besides …

As her own mother said as she was growing up, even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Guy was taking one step after another.

Fin (for now)


End file.
